


There Beneath

by EmeraldHeiress



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Red Hood: Lost Days, Under the Red Hood
Genre: Beginnings of Family Relationship, Don't copy to another site, Explicit Language, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Good Parent Talia al Ghul, Lost Days Jason Todd, Rating for language only, Sibling Bonding, Surprises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:15:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22023958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldHeiress/pseuds/EmeraldHeiress
Summary: Jason took the time to look at the kid and felt his eyebrows creep up his face.Holy shit… That was definitely Bruce’s kid. The shape of his face, the curve of his lips, that mulish expression. It was B all over.It really shouldn’t surprise him this much. He knew that T and B used to be a thing.
Relationships: Jason Todd & Damian Wayne, Talia al Ghul & Jason Todd
Comments: 35
Kudos: 680
Collections: Batfam Christmas Stocking 2019





	There Beneath

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cursed_angelica](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cursed_angelica/gifts).



He had no idea where the hell she was taking him. He didn’t even know why he was still here. He could get all the training he wanted all on his own. He didn’t need this. He didn’t need any of this. All this cloak and dagger was really getting to be a massive pain in the ass.

Jason grunted in surprise as a steaming cup of tea was shoved in his face.

“I can hear you complaining all the way over here.” Her voice full of wry amusement as she eyed him.

“I didn’t say shit.” He grumbled.

“You didn’t have to.” Talia drawled as she turned back to her own breakfast. “Your irritation is palpable.”

At least flying Air _Al Ghul_ meant luxuries like real food. It somewhat made up for getting kicked out of bed at 4:00 AM. Sort of.

Whatever.

“Where are we going?”

“Athens.”

“Greece?”

“That _is_ where Athens is.” Talia remarked dryly.

Jason glowered at her over the rim of his cup. He was so not in the mood for her snark. Sensei had run him into the ground not 6 hours ago. He’d barely had the energy to eat and shower before crawling into bed.

He was a _walking bruise._ Every muscle hurt. Blinking was painful.

And she’d forced him out of that bed after barely 3 and a half hours of sleep and onto a private jet.

“You can sleep now that we’re on the plane, Jason.” She reassured, amusement coloring her tone. It didn’t soothe any of the irritation but he did grunt and burrow into the seat, setting his tea in the cupholder.

Hopefully, she’d tell him why she’d pulled him out of bed when he woke again.

His eyes felt gritty when one of the guards shook him awake. Internal chronometer reading nothing but question marks. He’d never lost his ability to be functional at a moment’s notice so he was alert immediately.

It was only a moment before he was following Talia down the jet bridge.

The easy amusement from earlier had vanished. She was focused. _Concerned_. He wondered if worry was a new emotion or if he had missed it, hiding underneath her mask earlier, when he was too tired to see.

Instead of prying, he raised his hood and mask, keeping his mouth shut and senses open. She wouldn’t walk him into a trap without any kind of warning.

The answers he wanted earlier didn’t quite come. They were quickly shuttled off to Talia’s base in the city, where she instructed him to gear up but _lightly_.

“I have a very important task for you, habibi.” Talia stared intently into teal eyes, tinted by the Pit.

“What do you need Talia?” Jason asked. Despite his grumbling on the plane, he’d do just about anything for her. She’d taken him in. Treated him well. Gone, frankly, above and beyond anything he could have _ever_ expected of her.

“While I’m dealing with the situation here in Athens, I need you to guard my son.”

He blinked.

“Your _what?_ ”

A smirk briefly flashed across her face but she didn’t waste breath repeating herself. She knew he had heard her.

“Come. I’ll introduce you.”

He nodded, still a little stunned, and followed Talia up the stairs and into the house proper. He hadn’t even realized they were under a house.

“I will leave a small contingent of guards behind to patrol the grounds and house. But you will be responsible for the safety of my son.”

“Why me?” Jason asked, baffled.

She turned and held his gaze, “Because I trust you, Jason. Because I know that you would never let anything happen to a child.” Gentle hands reached under his hood and mask to caress his cheek.

Talia turned again and lead him upstairs and into a living area. A boy, perhaps six years old, sat crossed legged in front of a woman reciting history. Both looked up when the door opened.

In an instant, the boy was on his feet and bolted towards them, “Mother!”

“Damian!” Talia smiled warmly as she scooped him up and hugged him. After a moment, she resettled him and turned to Jason. “Damian, this is Jason. He will be looking after you today and perhaps tomorrow.”

“You just got here!” Damian whined.

“Yes.” Talia replied patiently. “And after I take care of some business, you will have me all to yourself. But I brought Jason to play with you while I handle a couple of things.”

The boy didn’t look convinced. He continued to argue.

Jason took the time to look at the kid and felt his eyebrows creep up his face.

Holy shit… That was definitely Bruce’s kid. The shape of his face, the curve of his lips, that mulish _expression_. It was B _all over_.

It really shouldn’t surprise him this much. He knew that T and B used to be a thing. But he’d have thought she - _why_ did he think she would have told Bruce?

“Jason?” His attention snapped back.

“Sorry, T.”

“How dare you address my mother so informally!” The boy snapped from his place at his mother’s side.

“Damian!” Talia scolded. “I have given Jason leave to address me as he will. He is one of my most trusted agents.”

Something stirred in Jason’s chest. She _had_ said she trusted him but to hear her say it to others; to say she placed _that much_ trust in him. Well... she _was_ having him guard her son, for fuck’s sake. Bruce’s son.

“And it is not for you to discipline _my_ people, little prince.” She continued, running fingers through the boy’s hair to soften the rebuke.

The boy sniffed but leaned into the affection. “Now, I will be leaving. Jason will be staying with you in my absence.” She fixed the boy with a stern look. “You _will_ behave and listen to him. As if he were me. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Mother.”

“Good.” She kissed the boy’s cheek and sent him back to his lesson. With a few last instructions and a squeeze of Jason’s shoulder, she left the room.

The teen sighed silently. He could do this. He used to babysit all the time. And Damian - _it was Damian, right?_ He’d been a little preoccupied noticing the kid’s genetic features… Yeah, that was right - Damian still had his tutor for the next hour or so.

He walked through the house, familiarizing himself with the layout and finding a few of the secrets. The weapon caches, the hidden passages, the hideaways. He didn’t have time to do a thorough sweep of everything but he’d bet the kid knew more.

He could take advantage of that later.

Returning to the study room, he saw the tutor packing up to leave and politely escorted her out. When he returned, he found the kid sulkily glaring at the door. At _him_.

“What?” Jason asked, warily.

“Where is my mother going?”

The teen rolled his eyes. Was this actually happening? Pint-sized assassin prince was actually trying to interrogate him?

“Can’t tell you that, kid.”

“I’m not a child!”

“I hate to tell you this, half-pint,” Jason drawled, crossing his arms, “but you are, in fact, a child.”

“How dare you talk to me like that!”

Oh, boy. This was going to be an adventure. “Look, kid.” He bent down to eye level, teal meeting moss-green, “I’m here to look after you. To keep you safe. I’m not here to bow down to you or to follow your orders.” He took a breath. “Your mom is doing something important and she’ll be back as soon as she can.”

The boy clicked his tongue and he suppressed a smile. “What did Mother say your name was?”

“I’m Jason.”

“Jason?” The boy repeated softly. “Like… like my brother.”

“I’m sorry?” He couldn’t have just -

“My _brother_.” Damian stated. “My father is Bruce Wayne!” The boy’s face _transformed_. Instead of sulking about his mother’s absence, now they were talking about B. The boy _glowed_. Jason only had time to feel the briefest amount of vindication for being right.

Just as quickly his face crumpled. “But my brother… Father’s not doing well.”

“Why?” Jason blurted out before he could stop himself.

Solemnly, the little boy took Jason’s hand. “Can you keep a secret?”

Jason paused to take stock of the situation. The kid - Damian, he reminded himself - had cycled through so many emotions the past few minutes his head was almost spinning. But that’s what kids do. Chances were, being Talia’s kid and _so young_ , whatever Damian was trying to hide, she already knew.

Really, he wasn’t hurting anything if she already knew. Better to be upfront about one thing, though.

“Is it a dangerous secret? Could someone get hurt?”

The look he received in response could peel paint. Man, the kid was definitely an Al Ghul, no matter Bruce’s donation. He held up his hand, the one not in Damian’s, in surrender.

“Yeah, I can keep a secret. Scout’s Honor.”

“What’s that?”

The teen shook his head, “Doesn’t matter. Point is, I won’t tell.”

Damian nodded and started pulling him down the hallway. Toward the bedrooms. “My father is Batman.”

“No way!” Jason tried to sound surprised. It was obviously important to the kid.

Damian preened a little as he dragged the older male into what must be his room and pulled out a folder of newspaper clippings and computer printouts.

“Look!” Jason couldn’t do much else as they were shoved into his face.

“My brother was killed. He was Robin! Father isn’t taking it well.”

Jason snorted but couldn’t help asking, “What do you mean?”

“Look!”

He looked. Damian narrated the whole time as he shoved paper after paper in front of the teen. Weaving a story of Robin’s - of _Jason’s_ \- death and Batman’s descent. A darker, more violent Dark Knight. How the hell had the kid even pierced any of this together?

“Why do you even have this?” The only words he could force out past everything else he wanted to say. Everything he wanted to yell. The denials. Bruce couldn’t actually care… if he did… if he did...

“I want to know everything about Father.” Damian said, intent. “When I meet him I want him to be proud of me!”

Jason’s heart _ached_. He wanted to say so many things. All of them warred inside his mind and throat. He wanted to tell Damian that Bruce would be proud. No way in this world he wouldn’t be proud of his son. He wanted to _howl_ at him that Damian shouldn’t _care_ for Bruce’s pride. Wanted to show him what happened to little boy’s who want to make Batman proud.

He swallowed and laid a hand on the boy’s shoulder instead, “Anyone would be proud to have you for a son.”

His little brother.

Fuck, he had a _little brother_.

Jason looked at the papers again. Carefully, he set them aside. He made a point not to put them away. They were… _important_. He would need to look at them later. Draw his own conclusions. But he was going to have to… reevaluate… _everything_.

Talia and her underhanded tactics. He supposed that this was what she had been trying to pound into his head the last few months.

For now though -

“You know, I know a couple of Batman moves.”

The boy looked at him sharply. “You do?!”

Jason nodded, “How about I teach you one of them and afterward I show you how to make American cookies?”

“What is a cookie?”

A smirk pulled at his lips, hidden under his mask. “You’ll see.”

He grabbed Damian’s hand and together they made their way to the training room.

_____________________________

Talia heard the muffled click of a gun being trained in her direction and froze. Well, she had left Jason in charge for a reason. Softly, she called out a stand down. A lamp came on, spilling soft light into the room.

She suppressed a smile.

Jason was curled up around her son on his bed, one arm protectively cradling his head as he slept, the other carefully replacing the weapon back in its resting place.

“Talia.”

“Habibi.”

She approached the bed, running gentle fingers through Damian’s hair.

“Any problems?”

“Of course not.” The teen scoffed.

“Good.”

“Mission go well?”

“Of course.” She smirked.

“Good.” A yawn overtaking him.

“Go to sleep, Jason.” Talia ordered, voice soft. “We’ll talk more in the morning.”

“Mmm.” Came a murmured agreement, teal eyes already closing as he drew his little brother closer to him.

With a soft laugh, Talia gently resettled the blankets over both of them and tugged the League hood off of her… of her _eldest’s_ head.

Let _him_ handled Damian in the morning.

**Author's Note:**

> Title from _"There Beneath"_ by The Oh Hellos.
> 
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